Jessica looked up as Colleen, Amy, and Danny slid into the booth. “Hi, guys. We’ve got a problem, and we were waiting for you.”
Amy nodded. Michele looked very upset, and so did Kevin, and Neal. Even Brett had lost his usual smile, and Gail seemed ready to burst into tears. “What is it, Jessica?”
“Remember those crazy Valentine cards that Tanya got the night of her accident? Well, Gail got two of them today.”
Gail shivered visibly. “The first one was there when I got to school this morning. And I found the second one right after school. Somebody dropped them through the vent in my locker.”
Gail’s voice was shaking, and Amy felt a stab of sympathy. Even though Gail hadn’t been very friendly lately, Amy felt sorry for her now. It was clear that she was truly frightened.
“I’d like to see those Valentine cards.” Amy took charge.
“Here.” Gail pushed two red envelopes across the table. “They’re from the same person . . . I just know it. And he’s really weird!”
Amy opened the first envelope. The message was printed, just as it had been on Tanya’s cards. She took a deep breath, and read it aloud: “ ‘Roses are red, lilies are white. A queen should always do everything right.’ And it’s signed, ‘Cat.’ ”
“Nice sentiment.” Danny turned to Gail in surprise. “Why are you so upset about that?”
Gail motioned to Amy. “Read the other one. Then you’ll understand.”
“ ‘Roses are red, violets are blue. Pass my test and the queen could be you.’ ” Amy’s voice shook slightly. “That’s exactly the same message that Tanya got!”
Colleen shrugged. “But that’s not so bad. Tanya’s third card was the scary one. And you didn’t get one like that.”
“I didn’t get it . . . yet.” Gail still looked very worried. “But what if I do?”
Amy reached out to pat Gail’s shoulder. “Don’t borrow trouble. It’s like Colleen’s mother always says . . . if you don’t let it bother you, then you win and he loses.”
“That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard!” Gail began to frown. “Besides, it does bother me. Tanya got the cards, and look what happened to her! She’s dead!”
Now Brett began to frown. “But, Gail . . . Tanya’s death was an accident. How could the cards have anything to do with it?”
“What if it wasn’t an accident? You remember what was in the third card, don’t you?”
Amy nodded. “I’ll never forget it. It said, ‘Violets are blue, roses are red. An unworthy queen is better off dead.’ ”
“Exactly!” Gail shivered. “The third card was a threat. And I think the person who sent the cards pushed Tanya down those stairs!”
There was silence for a moment, and then Danny spoke up. “Come on, Gail. You’re just jumpy, that’s all. Tanya was wearing high-heeled boots, and she tripped.”
“But Tanya was a dancer, and she was used to wearing high heels. I know they said she lost her balance, but I don’t believe it! I think the weirdo who sent these cards was with Tanya that night. He gave her the half-heart pendant, and then he shoved her down the stairs.”
“But . . . why would he do something like that?” Danny was puzzled.
“Because Tanya didn’t pass his test . . . whatever that was. And he decided that she shouldn’t be queen. That’s why.”
There was another long silence, and Amy shivered slightly. Gail had voiced the questions that had been in her mind ever since she’d heard about Tanya’s accident.
Brett put his arm around Gail and hugged her. “I’m afraid you’ve got a point. The cards, the pendant, Tanya’s accident . . . if you add it all up, it does seem suspicious.”
“Exactly!” Gail smiled briefly at Brett, but then she looked worried again. “We’ve got to find out who’s sending these cards! He could be Tanya’s killer!”
Now it was Danny’s turn to look worried. “I agree with you, Gail. I think we should try to find out, but let’s not jump to conclusions. The person who sent the cards could be nothing more than a practical joker. He might not be the same person who gave Tanya the pendant. And even if you do suspect foul play, the sheriff already wrote Tanya’s death off as an accident.”
“Danny’s right.” Amy nodded. “Whoever this person is, he’s innocent until proven guilty. We have to remember that.”
“And there’s no way we can find out who sent the cards, anyway.” Neal shook his head. “He just signs himself Cat, and we can’t tell by his handwriting because he printed.”
“Printed?” Danny turned to Amy in surprise. “Didn’t you say those votes you got for queen were printed?”
Amy blushed. “That’s true. My votes were printed. And I . . . I kept the one I got today. Hold on while I find it. It’s in my purse.”
Brett groaned. “I know what that means. Whenever a girl says she’s got something in her purse, it takes hours to find it.”
“Wrong.” Amy reached into her purse and pulled out a red construction paper heart. “I have a very efficient filing system.”
Neal nodded. “Sure. You filed it under P for purse. It was just blind luck that you found it.”
“No . . . honestly.” Amy began to blush. “I really do have a filing system. I put the special things in this little zippered pocket, and I stuff the things I want to save for a long time in the deep pocket in the center. The pocket with snaps on the outside of my purse is for the things I need every day, like my comb, and my lunch card, and my money, and my keys, and . . .”
“And we thought we had it hard with our car keys and our wallets!” Danny started to laugh. “How many pounds does your purse weigh?”
“It’s not that heavy!” Amy grinned, in spite of herself.
“Oh, no? Then why does your left shoulder dip down two inches lower than your right?”
“Hold it, you two!” Brett held up his hands. “Let’s take a look at Amy’s vote.”
Amy nodded, and unfolded it. And then she pushed it across the table to Brett, along with Gail’s Valentine cards. “Can you tell if they’re from the same person?”
Brett stared at the samples of printing for a moment, and then he nodded. “It’s the same person. I’m willing to bet on it. Look at the way he crosses his letters, especially the capital A.”
“Brett’s right.” Danny compared the two samples. “They’re crossed diagonally. Most people cross them with a straight line.”
“Here’s something else.” Brett pointed to the note. “This card is printed in block letters, and so is Amy’s name on the vote. If we could get a sample of everyone’s printing, I think we could identify the writer.”
“But how?” Kevin was curious. “Lots of people print in block letters, don’t they?”
“See how the letters are slanted slightly to the left? That’s something distinctive to look for. And he gives some of his letters a loop, just like he’s writing instead of printing.”
“You’re really good at this!” Amy smiled at Brett.
“Thanks.” Brett smiled back. “It’s because I work in my dad’s print shop, and part of my job is comparing different styles and typefaces. If we could get a sample of everyone’s printing, I think I could identify this guy.”
“Are you sure?” Danny frowned slightly.
“Yeah. I really think I could do it.”
“Okay. You’re on.” Danny reached across the table to shake Brett’s hand. “I’ll provide the samples for you.”
Amy turned to Danny in surprise. “That’s a great idea, but how are you going to do that?”
“Just leave it to me.” Danny squeezed her hand under the table. “I’ll have them for you by lunchtime tomorrow.”
Cat was frowning as he went up to the counter and got in line to order another Coke. It would be tragic if they solved the puzzle before he’d finished Karen’s revenge. He’d just have to think of some way to throw them off the track.
He thought about Karen as he waited for the girl in front of him to place her order. What would they do if Karen were here, right now, at the Hungry Burger? Would they invite her to join them at the back booth, and accept her as a friend? Or would they be very polite to her face, but gossip about her behind her back, as they’d done in the last few weeks of her life?
The week before Karen had died, she’d asked him to take her to the Hungry Burger. But when they’d joined the crowd at the big booth in the back, all the conversation had stopped, and there had been an uncomfortable silence before it had started again. Karen had known that they’d been talking about her, and it had hurt her deeply.
He put a smile on his face as he realized that several of his classmates were staring at him. He had to pretend to be just part of the gang. It was the only way they’d take him into their confidence. He was a wolf among sheep, and he had to keep up his disguise. They might panic if they knew what his real intentions were.
Cat turned to look at Amy, and his smile changed to something warm and genuine. Everyone had heard her say that Cat should be innocent until proven guilty. Of course he was guilty, but that was beside the point. Amy had spoken up to protect his rights.
And then there was the matter of the vote. Cat had been terribly flattered when Amy had pulled the construction paper heart out of her purse. It had meant so much to her that she’d kept it. He almost wished he could tell her that he was the one who’d voted for her, but now he could never declare himself. They’d compared his printing, and they’d realized that he was the one who’d sent the cards to Tanya and Gail. It didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, but it was still a minor inconvenience. He’d have to change his style of printing so that no one could recognize it.
His gaze turned to Gail, and he frowned again. She was shallow and silly; but he had promised Karen that he’d test her, and he would fulfill his promise. The test would take place tomorrow, during the school day. She’d be less suspicious then.
If Gail passed his test, he would let her be queen. That was only fair.
But if she failed, he would eliminate her, just as he’d eliminated Tanya.